Lesson plan of Hygiene Habits

Objectives (5-10 minutes)

1. Understand the Importance of Hygiene Habits: Students should understand why it is essential to maintain proper hygiene habits to avoid diseases and stay healthy. They should learn that lack of hygiene can allow harmful microorganisms to enter our bodies.

2. Identify Different Hygiene Habits: Students should be able to list and describe different hygiene habits, such as washing hands, brushing teeth, taking regular baths, etc. They should understand when and why each habit is important.

3. Apply Knowledge in Real-Life Situations: Students should be able to apply the acquired knowledge about hygiene habits in their daily routines. They should be able to identify situations where hygiene is crucial (such as before eating or after using the toilet) and practice the appropriate hygiene habits.

Secondary Objectives:

1. Develop Personal Responsibility: Through this topic, students should also start developing a sense of personal responsibility towards their health and well-being.

2. Promote Respect for Others' Health: Students should learn that maintaining good hygiene habits not only protects their own health but also the health of those around them. This can help promote an attitude of respect and consideration for others.

Introduction (10-15 minutes)

1. Review of Previous Content: The teacher should start the class by reviewing with the students about previous science lessons where they learned about different types of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) and how some of them can cause diseases. Additionally, it is important to review basic concepts about the human body and the immune system, briefly explaining how the body fights against these microorganisms.

2. Problem Situations: The teacher should propose two problem situations that students may face in their daily lives:

   • Situation 1: Imagine you are playing in the park and then you want to have a snack. What should you do before eating?
   • Situation 2: You just came back from school and your friends are at your house to play. What should you do before starting to play?

3. Contextualization: The teacher should then explain that the answers to these problem situations are related to hygiene habits, which are essential to stay healthy. He can mention how lack of hygiene can lead to illnesses such as colds, flus, stomach infections, cavities, among others. Moreover, the teacher should emphasize that taking care of our hygiene is not only beneficial for ourselves but also for the people around us.

4. Grabbing Students' Attention: To grab the students' attention, the teacher can start with some curiosities:

   • Curiosity 1: The teacher can ask the students how many microorganisms they think are on their hands. Then, he can reveal that, on average, we have about 1,500 bacteria living on every square centimeter of the skin on our hands.
   • Curiosity 2: The teacher can tell the story of how handwashing was discovered as an important measure to prevent diseases. He can mention the Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis who, in the 19th century, discovered that doctors who washed their hands before assisting patients drastically reduced the number of deaths from puerperal fever.

This introduction will serve to prepare the students for the next section, where they will learn about different hygiene habits and why they are important.

Development (15-20 minutes)

1. Presentation of the Theory: The teacher should proceed to the theoretical part of the class, discussing each of the main hygiene habits, why they are important, and how to practice them correctly.

1.1 Washing Hands: Explain that hands are one of the parts of our body that most come into contact with surfaces that may be dirty or contaminated with microorganisms. Washing our hands, especially before eating and after using the toilet, helps remove these microorganisms and prevent diseases. The correct way to wash hands, not forgetting the spaces between the fingers, nails, and wrist, should be emphasized.

1.2 Taking a Bath: Show that daily bathing is vital not only to remove dirt and sweat but also to get rid of microbes that accumulate on our skin. It is essential to wash the entire body, including the feet and scalp.

1.3 Brushing Teeth: Explain how the food we eat leaves residues on our teeth that can be a breeding ground for bacteria, resulting in cavities and bad breath. Brushing our teeth at least twice a day, as well as after meals, together with the use of dental floss, can prevent these problems.

1.4 Taking Care of Personal Belongings: Talk about the importance of keeping your personal belongings such as combs, toothbrushes, towels, etc., clean and not sharing them, as they can be sources of contamination.

2. Practical Activity: After discussing the theory, the teacher can use the remaining time for a game or a practical activity. Some possible activities are:

2.1 Hygiene Scavenger Hunt: Prepare a list of personal hygiene-related items that students should find around the classroom in advance. Give each student or group of students a copy of the list and ask them to find the items. Encourage students to explain the function of each item found and why it is important for personal hygiene.

2.2 Handwashing Demonstration: Ask a student to demonstrate how to wash hands properly. Use this as an opportunity to reinforce the correct method by guiding the student during the demonstration.

2.3 Drawing Activity: Ask students to draw and color a picture that shows themselves practicing a hygiene habit. Allow each student to share their drawing with the class and discuss what they are doing in the picture and why it is important.

Remember that all these activities should be supervised to ensure that students correctly understand the hygiene practices and to correct any misunderstandings.

To conclude this stage, the teacher should recap the main points of the theory and the practical activities, reinforcing the importance of personal hygiene for individual and collective health.

Return (10-15 minutes)

1. Discussing the Conclusions: The teacher should gather the class and ask each group to share their conclusions or solutions from the activities carried out in the development stage. This could include the items found in the "Hygiene Scavenger Hunt", the steps taken in the "Handwashing Demonstration", or the pictures created in the "Drawing Activity". This will allow students to learn from each other and recognize the variety of hygiene practices that can be carried out.

2. Connecting with the Theory: After each presentation, the teacher should revisit the theory discussed earlier and connect it with the activities carried out, reinforcing the learning. For example, if a group found a bottle of liquid soap during the "Hygiene Scavenger Hunt", the teacher can remind the class about the importance of washing hands and how soap helps in this process by removing microorganisms.

3. Individual Reflection: The teacher should then ask the students to reflect on what they have learned during the class. To facilitate this reflection, the teacher can ask two simple questions:

   • Question 1: Which hygiene habit do you consider the most important and why?

   • Question 2: Which hygiene habit do you think you could improve in your daily routine and how do you intend to do that?

4. Sharing Reflections: After a minute of reflection, students should be encouraged to share their answers voluntarily. This will allow students to learn from their peers' reflections and reinforce the importance of hygiene habits in their lives.

5. Reviewing the Content: To finalize the class, the teacher should review the main points covered during the lesson, emphasizing the importance of hygiene habits for individual and collective health. The teacher should reinforce that hygiene is a personal responsibility that has a direct impact on the well-being of everyone around.

6. Closing: The teacher should then close the class by congratulating the students on their teamwork, participation, and shared reflections. He should encourage them to continue practicing and improving their hygiene habits at home and at school.

Conclusion (5-10 minutes)

1. Lesson Summary: The teacher should start the conclusion by briefly summarizing the key points covered during the class. He should recap the importance of hygiene habits, such as washing hands, taking baths, and brushing teeth, and how these habits help prevent diseases caused by microorganisms. Additionally, emphasize that hygiene is a personal responsibility that has a direct impact on individual and collective well-being.

2. Theory-Practice Connection: Next, the teacher should highlight how the class connected theory to practice. He can mention the practical activities, such as the hygiene scavenger hunt, the handwashing demonstration, and the drawing activity, and how these activities helped apply and reinforce the theoretical knowledge.

3. Extra Materials: The teacher can suggest some extra materials for students who want to deepen their knowledge about hygiene habits. This could include:

   • Children's books about hygiene and health, such as "Germs Are Not for Sharing" by Elizabeth Verdick.

   • Educational videos, such as those from the "SciShow Kids" YouTube channel, which has several videos about hygiene and microorganisms.

   • Educational websites with interactive games and activities about hygiene, such as "PBS Kids".

4. Importance of the Subject: Finally, the teacher should emphasize the importance of hygiene habits in the students' daily lives. He can mention how hygiene is fundamental not only for physical health but also for self-esteem and relationships with others. Additionally, he can reinforce that hygiene habits are also a way of respecting others, as they help prevent the spread of diseases.

5. Closure: The teacher should conclude the class by thanking the students for their participation and engagement, encouraging them to continue practicing the hygiene habits they learned. He can remind them that every small hygiene habit can make a big difference in their health and well-being.